Finally Together
by Wetdry
Summary: Kagami's life changes when she meets her employer's long-lost daughter.
1. Chapter 1

School had gotten out, and Kagami was now walking home with her sister Tsukasa.

:"How was school today?" Kagami asked.

"The same as always," said Tsukasa. "Yuki-chan asked if we'd like to come to her place later today. What do you think?"

"You can go if you want, but I'm afraid I have work."

"Oh, that's right."

_It's only the same job I have every day,_ Kagami thought. She really wished Tsukasa would make an effort to remember these things.

They finally reached their home. They went to their rooms and changed out of the school uniforms. Tsukasa was now wearing something casual, while Kagami was put on clothes she deemed suitable for her job.

"I'll be at Yuki-chan's place," said Tsukasa. "And don't worry, I made sure Mom and Dad were okay with it."

"Sure thing," said Kagami. As soon as as her sister had left, she headed over to her own destination: the home of her part-time employer, Sojiro Izumi.

From what she heard, he once had a family, but his wife and then-infant daughter were taken from him in what started out as a standard home-invasion robbery. To this day, no one knew where they were or even if they were still alive.

Not that she would ever be tactless enough to bring it up with him.

In any case, any surviving evidence that this family existed was no doubt stored away someplace where he didn't have to look at it on a daily basis.

Kagami rang the doorbell. Sojiro opened the door.

"Hello, Mr. Izumi," Kagami.

"Come in," he replied. "I have some more manuscripts for you to proofread."

Kagami nodded as he led her to his office. While mostly he had her help with his writing, in truth she was paid for just about anything he needed done.

Speaking of his writing, while no one would ever believe it, there was nothing perverted about what he wrote. Kagami was even tempted to show some of it to Tsukasa, except he couldn't quite bring herself to ask Sojiro's permission to do so.

He probably wouldn't give such permission anyway.

Once all the texts were properly looked over, he was done with her for the day. She got her daily payment and was soon on her way home.

_I wish I at least knew their names,_ thought Kagami about Sojiro's wife and daughter. Since their seemingly no way to find out without invading his privacy, she would just have to let this remain a mystery.

Still, anyone related to Sojiro Izumi was no doubt someone Kagami would like to meet someday…


	2. Chapter 2

Months went by, and eventually Kagami finished high school, along with her sister Tsukasa.

They had just completed their graduation ceremony, and were about to head home. With them was Tsukasa's classmate, Miyuki Takara.

"So, Takara," Kagami said, "I hope Tsukasa didn't cause you too much trouble."

"Oh no, not at all," said Miyuki, "and please, call me Miyuki."

"It seems a bit late for that."

"What's that? It's not like we can never see each other again after today."

"Well, in that case, you can call me Kagami."

"I should really be getting home, Kagami," Miyuki said. "I still a college application to fill out."

Kagami just then realized she hadn't chosen a college yet. "I should be heading home too. I'll see you when I can."

Halfway to their house, Tsukasa thought of something.

"Once you're in college," Tsukasa said, "you won't really have time to work for Mr. Izumi."

"I was just about to inform him of that," Kagami replied. "I'll try to break it to him gently, but with all those rejection letters he's gotten, I'm sure he's hardened to bad news."

"I suppose you're right."

"Besides, he can easily hire someone more qualified than me to help him."

That night, after looking through various pamphlets, Kagami finally applied to a college. It would be a few weeks before she got word on whether she was accepted, but she had a good feeling.

Then came the next day. "Let's get it over with," she said to herself. She paid Sojiro a visit in order to deliver the news face-to-face.

"That's a shame," he said. "You were such a help around here. But you do what you gotta do."

"Thank you for understanding." Kagami was on her way out when Sojiro suddenly spoke up again.

"Kanata and Konata," he said.

"I don't understand," she replied.

"My wife's name is Kanata, and we named our daughter Konata. I could tell you've wanted to ask me that, and I figured there was no harm in answering." He closed the door.

While Kagami had been curious about his loved ones' names, knowing them didn't make those people seem "real" to her.

_What did you expect, Kagami?_ she thought. _That butting into somone's private life would lead to anyone's problems being solved?_

On her way home, Kagami nonetheless stopped by the shrine, to say a prayer for Kanata and Konata, wherever they were.

_Please help reunite the Izumi family_ was her prayer, more or less.

As she predicted, a few weeks later she got an acceptance letter from her college of choice, as did Tsukasa. The Hiiragi family ate out as a celebration of the sisters' achievement.

"It feels like such an accomplishment," said their mother, "to have all our daughters out of high school."

"Tell me about it," their father said, "it feels like forever since our oldest's first day of school."

"Oh, come on, it hasn't been that long."

Kagami looked around at her family. _This is it. Tomorrow, I begin my life as an adult._

[A/N: Konata will be eventually show up in this fic, I promise!]


	3. Chapter 3

Roughly two years had passed since Kagami's graduation, and she was now well into her college education. Despite her worries, though, getting through college wasn't that difficult, although she did end up having to work various odd jobs rather that have any kind of steady employment.

Thankfully, she'd long been accustomed to living an inexpensive lifestyle.

Another thing Kagami was thankful for was that, having turned 20, she could now legally consume alcohol.

She made a point of not overdoing it, though.

Tonight was an exception; she'd gotten her best grades since she began attending her college, and she felt like celebrating a little. She was accompanied by Tsukasa, Miyuki, Misao and Ayano.

Ayano introduced herself to Kagami's other friends, as did Misao.

"It's hard to believe we went through all of high school without meeting," said Miyuki.

"I'm sure we met a few times," said Ayano, "we probably just saw no reason to remember."

"Yeah, I suppose we wouldn't."

"Enough about that!" Misao said. "Let's have a drinking contest!"

"I dunno about that," said Kagami.

"Indeed," Miyuki said, "we'll have to go home eventually, and the police would no doubt frown upon public drunkenness."

"Fine then," Misao said. "I win by default!"

"Good for you," said Kagami.

"Sis, you might want to see this," said Tsukasa, who was now pointing toward the nearby TV set.

Kagami checked out the TV, grateful for any excuse to end her earlier conversation.

"We've received word that earlier today," said the reporter, "police rescued a woman and her 20-year old daughter from the hideout of a gang of suspected armed robbers. The mother has been identified as Kanata Izumi, while the daughter's name has not yet been disclosed."

Kagami already knew it was Konata.

"The men were arrested at the site, and have been charged with kidnapping as well as numerous counts of robbery. Meanwhile, both mother and daughter have been safely returned to their home."

_That's good news for Mr. Izumi,_ thought Kagami. _I wonder if this means the gods answered my prayer._

More likely it was the end result of tireless police work. Besides, Kagami wasn't all that dedicated to their religion, and might not have done it correctly.

In any case, it was just as well that she quit working for him, since he and his family would no doubt want some time to themselves.

Still, she found herself wondering Konata was going to function in a world she'd been cut off from her whole life.

Kagami had a feeling her role in all this was just beginning.


End file.
